Not Just A Pollyanna!
I’ve been ruminating on this post for a while. As you can tell, I try to have an upbeat approach to most things. Yet, sometimes, with these blog posts, I’ve wondered if readers ever roll their eyes or think I’m just some fluffy Pollyanna.
BackgroundAlthough I have always been a glass-half-full optimist, I believe that I’m also grounded in reality. I was fortunate to enjoy a stable, protected, happy childhood as a solid foundation from which to springboard into the world. As I entered adulthood and life brought its various experiences – good, bad and otherwise – my world… Continue reading
But What Do You DO All Day?
People often express their curiosity about island living and ask me, “But what do you DO all day?” (In fact, this is the question I get asked the most, after “How did you end up on an island?” and “Do you work?”) I understand why the question comes to mind. For the askers, their island experiences have either been the stuff of daydreams or vacations: sleeping in, reading all day, going to the beach for hours, taking naps. Delightful as that is, it does not seem like real life to them.
And, in fact, it’s not. I joke… Continue reading
If Once You Have Slept On An Island
Oh, my long lost Better Lifers! After my last post, I dashed to the States to take care of some matters that had sprung up (all is well). Like most Stateside visits, it was a whirlwind week with LOTS of driving and City traffic that I happily forget about most other days. Like other visits, it also had its upsides, most notably a too-short visit with my visiting Uncle and Aunt, recently-moved-to-the-area grandparents, mom and brother. And, of course, the gorgeous aerial views on the return flight home to the island. It was also a week of staying largely… Continue reading
Things I Could Do All Day Long
This blog post was prompted by two things I was doing the other day when I happened to think about each of them, “I could do this all day long and never tire of it.” So I set pen to paper (err, fingers to keyboard) and started to write about it. What were those two things that were so special as to inspire a blog post? Well, let me set the scene for you . . .
It was an early evening on the island. The sun was performing a beautiful slow dance toward the horizon, and the sea sparkled… Continue reading
Happy Mother’s Day
Happy Mother’s Day to my own wonderful mother (and grandmother and aunts and cousins and mommy friends)!
In honor of my mother, I am breaking my usual weekend silence on the blog to wish her and all of the Better Life mamas a wonderful Mother’s Day. You mothers do so very much for your children and families, and you deserve to be celebrated!
To my own mother, thank you for your unconditional love, ever-ready smile, intuition, comforting hugs, steadfast support, exuberant enthusiasm, patience, understanding, playfulness, wisdom, beauty, life lessons, address-sharing, island errands and grandpuppy-sitting! You’re my number one cheerleader, and… Continue reading
Regatta Photo Tour
My Dearest Better Lifers, thanks for your patience as I get caught up after a whirlwind regatta!
As you know, I’ve had Regatta Fever and have been posting Champion Sailboat Journals, Sailing Videos Clips and more. Finally, I have sifted through more than 600 personal photographs of the race week to cull them to a far-more-manageable 59 to share with you. These pics capture the essence of an incredible week. Of course, NOTHING can convey the excitement, adrenaline, pride and sheer pleasure of being there, but I hope to give you a taste.
Just one picture of many you’ll… Continue reading
Return from Regatta & Sailing Video
Hellooooooo, Better Lifers! I’ve missed you!
Regatta was wonderful, and I’ll fill you in soon. Weather was pretty tricky – the same front that saturated Florida also doused the Bahamas. Thankfully, Mother Nature granted enough of a respite that the boats were able to race, but then she kicked in again and delayed our return by several days. Upon my return, I was greeted with a flooded downstairs in my own home. Thankfully, my visiting mother had stanched the tide. I helped with the cleanup and enjoyed the remaining days of her visit.
It’s also been hectic around here as… Continue reading
Regatta Farewell
Dearest Readers, consider this my TEMPORARY farewell. Regatta fever continues. Now my adrenalin is really racing as we are about to set sail! Literally. We are leaving on a friend’s sailboat and leisurely headed down to the Regatta. (My family is visiting and taking care of the house and Angel, and I’ll be delighted to spend more time together upon my return.)
I won’t bother taking my computer with me, and I don’t have any mobile gadgets other than a very basic cell phone. Upon leaving the States, I gave up the old Blackberry! While Bahamians also have all… Continue reading
At Home With A Champion Sailboat
Regatta fever continues! While I ready myself for the trip, I thought you might enjoy some journal excerpts from our local sailboat from earlier this year . . .
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Gently, I bob in the turquoise waters of my home in the out islands of the Bahamas. All 28 on-deck feet of my wooden hull bask in the new year’s sun, while my seven foot draw drifts on a single keel below and my 60 foot mast stands regally above. The massive canvas sheet which serves as my mainsail is drying out on land nearby. Thanks to… Continue reading
Regatta Primer
I HAVE REGATTA FEVER! And you’re going to be hearing about it, so I should give you the background scoop now . . .
All over the world, of course, regattas – or sailboat races – take place. Even within the Bahamas, various regattas occur during the year. However, in this context, “Regatta” is shorthand for the one-and-only, like-no-other, national sailing championship of the Bahamas that occurs in George Town every April and is more formerly known as the National Family Island Regatta.
Like any sport with a high profile throughout the country, sailboat racing in the Bahamas brings with… Continue reading
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